Will Mabbitt to pen picture books for HCG

Hachette Children’s Books (HCG) has acquired two picture books by Will Mabbitt.

The first, Flea Seeks Dog, will be published in September 2020 with illustrations by Nathan Reed, and I am a Sensible Gibbon will follow with illustrations by Claudia Boldt in November 2020. Both will be released on the Hodder Children’s Books imprint.

Emma Layfield, group picture book publisher at HCG, said: “Will Mabbitt is one of the funniest children’s writers on the market and we are absolutely delighted to welcome him to the Hachette picture book list. Flea Seeks Dog and I Am A Sensible Gibbon are laugh-out-loud stories that will have children in stitches and begging for more. Both Nathan Reed and Claudia Boldt will bring bags of charm and visual humour to these books.”

Layfield acquired world rights from Paul Moreton at The Bell Lomax Moreton Agency for Will Mabbitt and Claudia Boldt, and from Claire Cartey at Holroyde Cartey for Nathan Reed.

HCG also publishes Mabbitt’s middle-grade fiction series, Embassy of the Dead, on its Orion imprint.